An abundance of electronic devices and wireless communication have crowded the airwaves with communication traffic. In some environments, communication latency and communication loss represent an annoyance. In other environments, such as healthcare, loss of data and excessive delay in communication can impact patient health and safety.
In wireless patient monitoring, for example, device(s) on a patient use, by default, frequencies within a pre-defined spectrum (e.g., an industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio band such as 2.4-2.4835 GHz, etc.) for transmitting and receiving patient sensor data. While operating in a healthcare facility, such as a hospital, etc., these devices have access to a protected frequency spectrum known as a medical body area network (MBAN, such as 2360-2400 MHz, etc.). MBAN spectrum is split into two sub-bands (2360-2390 MHz and 2390-2400 MHz) and, for the purposes of this disclosure, the following differences are highlighted. The 2360-2390 MHz spectrum is subject to Frequency Coordination per FCC Part 95.2509 and use of this spectrum is restricted to indoors only. The 2390-2400 MHz frequency band does not require frequency coordination and does not have restrictions on whether it can operate indoors or outdoors. For example, within the healthcare facility, an MBAN device can be authorized for access to the MBAN spectrum (2.36-2.39 GHz) from a third-party Frequency Coordinator regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). However, once the device leaves the healthcare facility, access to the pre-defined, reserved, or “protected” MBAN communication spectrum is denied.
A body area network is a wireless network of wearable computing devices. An MBAN is a wireless network of wearable computing devices that monitor and/or affect patient health, such as sensors, pumps, meters, monitors, etc. An MBAN is a low power network including a plurality of body-worn sensors that transmit a variety of patient data (e.g., temperature, blood glucose level, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory function, etc.) to a control device. The MBAN eliminates cables tethering the patient to a bed and provides real-time (or substantially real time given data transmission and processing latency) data to healthcare practitioners. Wireless medical devices can be used to actively monitor a patient's health, including blood glucose and pressure monitoring, delivery of electrocardiogram readings, neonatal monitoring, etc. Data can be gathered for storage, processing, transmission, etc., such as to a control device, patient electronic medical record, display, etc. Connected device(s) can also be used to deliver medical therapy to certain body area(s), for example.
Awareness of radio spectrum use can enable spectrum manager and automatic spectrum allocation systems, such as frequency coordinators, to operate more efficiently, reduce problems caused by spectrum congestion, and enable better mitigation of interference problems.